
GIass_ 



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ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1850 447 



ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1850. ^ J*^ 

Journal and Letters of Jerome Button, Written During an 7 C<^ 

Overland Journey from Scott County, Iowa, to Sacramento 
^County, California, in the Year Named."- 

INTRODUCTORY. 

In the biographical section of "The History of Clinton 
County, Iowa," published in 1879 by the Western Historical 
Company of Chicago, appear brief sketches of Jerome But- 
ton, on page 792, and of Lorenzo D. Button and Josiah F. 
Hill, on page 810. In each of these sketches mention is made 
of a trip taken across the plains to California in the spring 
and summer of 1850. The three men named, with others, made 
this long journey in company, and one, at least, of the party, 
kept a journal of the expedition. 

This journal follows, together with several supplementarj'- 
letters by Jerome Button, the writer of the journal, during, 
or shortly after the conclusion of the journey. Both the 
journal and the letters appear herein essentially as they were 
written. To avoid repetition, portions of the letters have 
been omitted, and in "the furtherance of a connected narrative 
occasional detail mentioned in the letters and omitted from 
the journal are herein included in the journal. These 
changes, however, are few ; and otherwise no alterations have 
been made, except to eliminate some errors of punctuation 
a nd orthogr aphy, and to add an occasional note that may aid 

/On Dec. 29. 1850, Jerome Button sent his journal by mail from Mormon 
Island, Cal.. to Le Roy Button in Clinton County. Iowa. Before mailing 
It he inscribed the subjoined note on the fly leaf- 

"You must let no one see my journal. There are so many mistakes in 
It and I have not had time to rectify them. But I will do it when I set 
home. This is just enough to keep it fresh in memory. Remember that a 
good part of it was written after dark with no other light than such as I 
could make out of buffalo chips. — Jerome." 



■ - I \ 

448 ANNALS OP IOWA 

in identifying some of the persons mentioned. Whenever 
reference is made to the ''History of Clinton County" the 
volume described at the beginning is the book alluded to. 

Before they started on this journey, the three men named 
entered into a contract with Rudolphus S. Dickinson whereby 
he was to provide them and their belongings with transporta- 
tion to California, and with board during the trip. Whether 
others of the party went under the same terms is not known. 
For this service ]\Ir. Dickinson was to receive, according to 
the evidences at hand, il^400 from each individual. He was, 
hoAvever, unable to fully perform his part of the contract. 
When the party reached the ]\Iissouri river it became evident 
that from thence forward the ])urdens of the horses and oxen 
must be lightened, and as the best means of reaching this 
end, the men in the party made the entire remainder of the 
journey from the Missouri river to their destination on foot. 
In the middle fifties when many of the party had returned 
to Iowa, Mr. Dickinson began suit, with Cook and Dodge, 
of Davenport, as his attorneys, against Hill and the two Dut- 
ton brothers for $400 each under this contract, but as he had 
failed to provide them with transportation and as the defen- 
dants had performed many services for him, he obtained only 
a modified judgment. 

It is, perhaps, not out of place to mention here that the 
town of Dixon in Scott county, takes its name, in an abbrevi- 
ated form, from the leader of this party,, who opened the first 
store in the community, when it was known as Little Walnut 
Grove. He was also one of the founders of the town of Cal- 
amus in Clinton county. On page 633 of the "History of 
Clinton County" appears the following: "Calamus . . . was 
platted in 1860 by R. S. Dickinson, who ow^ned the land on 
the north side of the railroad. He and his son^ A. L, Dickin- 
son, built the first store c^i consequence and opened a large- 
line of merchandise and engaged in grain buying." 

Jerome Dutton, with his brother Lorenzo, left California 
in the early summer of 1854, returning by way of the Isthmus 
of Panama, thence to New York city and from there by rail 
to Davenport, Iowa. He was born March 2nd, 1826, in Afton 



ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1850 449 

(then Bainbridge) Cheiiang-o county, N. Y.. being the fifth 
son of Charles and Nancy (Pearsall) Button. His mother 
died in 1837, and in the fall of that year he, together with 
his father and four brothers, Le Roy, Lorenzo Dow, John, and 
Charles went to Potter countj% Penn., where thej^ lived with 
his mother's brother, Samuel Pearsall, until the following 
spring. They then went by raft to Madison, Ind., where they 
lived with another uncle, William Button, until December. 
1838. The father and his sons, Le Roy. John, Charles and 
Jerome, then started for Iowa, proceeding down the Ohio and 
up the Mississippi, but at Alton, Ills., the river became frozen 
over and the party remained there until the spring of 1839. 
They then continued up the river to Comanche, where they 
left the boat and walked out to the home of another uncle. 
William Pearsall. Here, along the banks of the Wapsipinicon 
river in the south-east corner of Olive township, Clinton 
county, the father and his sons, Le Roy, John, Charles and. 
in 1842 Lorenzo, established what were to be the homes of four 
of thorn for the remainder of their lives. Here the brother 
John died in 1840. the father, Charles Sr.. in 1859, Le Roy, 
Bee. 19th, 1894. Lorenzo B., ]\Iarch 13th, 1895. Charles, who 
survived all the others, died April 2nd, 1899, at Burant, Iowa, 
whence he had moved from his farm in Olive township only 
the year l)ef()re. 

TTutil his mai-riagc. Jerome Button lived, for'the most part, 
with his oldest brother, Le Roy. He was married November 
16th. 185f). at Tipton. Cedar county. Iowa, by Judge W. H. 
Tuthill. to Celinda. a daughter of Francis and Rhoda (Chap- 
lin) Parker. A few months later he took up his abode on his 
farm on th(^ soutli bank of the Wapsipinicon in Allen's 
drove township, Scott county. 

In 1859 he bought the Buena Vista ferry that had, some 
years previously. l)een operated by Br. Amos Witter, and 
the south landing of which was on th(^ north-east corner of 
his farm. He operated this ferry until the fall of 1864 when 
tlie ferry at this point was discontinued, and he moved to 
the neighboring town of Bixon. From thence he moved to 

4 



450 ANNALS OF IOWA 

Wheatland, in Clinton county, in the fall of 1865. Here, 
directly after his arrival, he opened an insurance, real estate, 
collecting and loan office, and also began a large business 
as an auctioneer. These were his business pursuits for the 
remainder of his life. He held many minor offices in his 
home community and was Justice of the Peace for many 
years. He was Postmaster at Wheatland at the time of his 
death, which occurred October 4th, 1893. 

References to Charles Dutton, Sr., or his sons may be 
found on pages 352, 363, 364, 365, 392, 792, and 810 "His- 
tory of Clinton County." C. W. D. 

Journal. 

Started from home' for California ]Marcli 31st, 1850, and 
from Allen's Grove [Scott Co.] April 3rd. Stopped over 
night with Mr. Owens and Bennett in Walniit Grove in com- 
pany with Daniel Carlisle, Josiah Hill, L. D. Dutton, John 
Gochenour, Sam, Adam, and John White and the latter 's wife. 
Mr. and Mrs. PoAvell, Solomon Gee and two Irish boys from 
Illinois by the name of Jolm and Henry Hart. The second 

night we stayed at Akerman's, in Posten's Grove. 

Here we received a visit fix)ni ]\lr. Owen and Andrew and 
John Posten." 

April 5th A^e stayed in Tipton at the home of Abraham 
Lett, a very jovial old fellow. We had a "rake down" there 
that evening, Adam White presiding as fiddler. Left Tipton 
April 6th, and after ploughing through sloughs all day we 
stopped at the house of John Johnston, a distance of five miles, 
from Tipton. 



^The farm of LeRoy Dutton, in Sec. I, Olive township, Clinton county. 

"The Mr. Powell mentioned died about a year after his arrival in Cali- 
fornia. His widow, Elizabeth Powell, married P. E. Rothstein, in March, 
1852. Mr. Rothstein went to California by the overland route in 1849, 
and in the spring of 1857, he and his wife returned to Scott county. In 
1"861 he moved into Clinton county, and built and operated "Rothstein's 
Mill," — a landmark for many years — on the north bank of the Wapsi- 
pinicon river in Olive township. A sketch of Mr. Rothstein is given on 
page 813, "History of Clinton County." The "Mr. Owen" last mentioned 
was John Ervin Owen, wliose wife, Diantha. wa.s tlie eldej-'t s-isier of 
Celinda Parker, whom Jerome Dutton subsequently married. Andrew and 
John Posten were sons of James Posten. James Posten was the earliest 
settler in the northwest corner of Scott county, and "Posten's Grove" took 
its name from him. 



ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 185 451 

AVe left Johnston's Sunday morning April Tth, and crossed 
the Cedar at Washington's Ferry. "We traveled two miles 
farther and tarried at the house of John Doland. . . . 

On the 8th Ave arrived at onr Capitol and camped close by 
the College. Iowa City is not a very pretty place, the houses 
are scattering and generally very small. There are several 
small churches, however, among which are the Congregational, 
Baptist, Universalist and several others. The State House 
is a rather good looking building built of unhewn stone. AVe 
were advised at Iowa City to take the southern route on ac- 
count of the scarcity of feed on the northern, but I now be- 
lieve it wa-)uld have been better to have taken the northern 
route, for the hay and corn began to grow very scarce as soon 
as we left the city, and the northern is a much nearer route. 

On the 9th we crossed the Iowa river at the middle ferry, 
drove 12 miles and stopped at the house of AVilliam Fry. 
Here feed began to grow scarce, and we started in the morning 
of the 10th before feeding hay simply because we could not 
get it. We drove four miles and put up at the house of an 
old bachelor by the name of Lambert. He was a smart look- 
ing man and had everything about him much nicer than any 
other man on the road. In this he is the equal of old man 
Dickerman. We got corn of him for 40 cents per bushel, 
and went about five miles off the road and got a ton of hay 
delivered for $6.50. We laid up here the 11th, 12th and 13th. 

On the 14th we left Lambert's and crossed English river 
(on a bridge) at Warrensville, and after traveling over a 
rough and sloughy country a distance of 20 miles stopped at 
the house of John Houston. AVilliam and the Parkers stayed 
• at the same house last spring.^ AVe got no feed here except 
what we hauled with us 20 miles. 

All day the 14th the country is about the same; the land 
high, wet and cold. We stopped near Sigourney, Keokuk Co. 

iWlUiam R Pearsall, Francis Parker, and the latter's son, Francis 
Jackson Parker. The three, in company liad followed tliis route to Cali- 
fornia in the spring of 1849. William R. Pearsall was a son of the Wil- 
liam Pearsall mentioned in the introduction hereto, and thus a cousin of 
Jerome Button. His wife, Rhoda, was a daughter of Francis Parker, 
and thus a sister of Jerome Button's future wife. 



452 ANNALS OF IOWA 

The country begins to look better this morning, the 16th. We 
drove 11 miles today and laid up at Louis Gregory's, the best 
man we have met with yet. and lives in the prettiest country 
we have passed through. He sold us the hay of¥ his stable 
roof, and it was the cheapest hay we have bought at that. We 
got corn from a man that lives four miles off the road for 55 
cents, delivered. 

We laid by again the 17th, 18th and 19th, and to pass away 
the time Daniel Carlisle bought three chickens and put them 
up at a distance of 15 rods to be shot at with the rifle held at 
arms length. I killed one the first shot I made. He also got 
two turkeys and put them up at 25 rods. Ten shots brought 
them both down. We have some first-rate marksmen in our 
crowd. 

On the 20th we again set out and after going two miles 
forded the north branch of Skunk river — a beautiful mill 
stream. About eight miles from there we ferried the south 
fork. Here we met five very pretty girls on their way to 
meeting and they created quite a sensation throughout the 
company. The country from this fork back a distance of 20 
miles is as beautiful a country as ever I saw. and is in Keo- 
kuk Co. After crossing the south fork it was quite different, 
being very hilly and sloughy. We camped that night near 
Oskaloosa the county seat of Mahaska Co. 

On the 21st we drove into Oskaloosa and there heard that 
a Californian named Hudson had died and been buried there 
the day before, and the citizens mistrusted that his remains 
had been dug up. We went one mile beyOnd to\\ai and put 
up at the house of E. Hale. After Ave had fed our teams we 
went back to town to find out the truth of the matter. The 
citizens opened the grave and found the body missing. Two 

doctors, E. W. Pierson and G. Singer, with Sampsel 

as accessory, had hired two men by the names of James 

Moore and Wallace to dig up the body and bring it 

to their buggy. The body was found while we were in town. 
I never in my life felt so much like putting mob law in force 
as I did when I saM^ the body. It caused considerable excite- 
ment among the Californians as well as the citizens anrl there 



ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1850 453 

was a crowd around all day. The two men Avho dug up the 
body made their escape, but Dr. Pierson and Singer were 
taken at night ■with a warrant, but were released under bonds 
of $1,000. The suit was just called as we left there on the 
22nd. 

We ferried the Des ^loines at Tuley's [Tool's] ferry (or 
ford) and stayed all night at Belle Fountain, a little town on 
the south side. Here w^e got com for 75 cents per bushel. The 
23rd we stayed at Wolf's Run. The night of the 24th we 
stayed five miles from any house in a pretty place and killed a 
large wild turkey. On the 25th we arrived at Chariton Point 
where we got hay for $1.00 per hundred and corn for $1.50 
per bushel. This place is 40 miles from the Des INIoines. 

Here we struck the old IMormon trail and from this on had 
a first rate road with the exception that it was more crooked 
than the Wapsipinicon. The 28th we jiassed through Mount 
Pisgah, a settlement of IMormons that stopped here in 1846 
because they Avere so poor they could not get any farther. 
There are about 60 families. All that are able are going on 
to Salt Lake this season. This settlement is about 60 miles 
from any other. They have seen hard times here. They have 
a mill on Grand river which runs through the town, but they 
are selling out as fast as they can and leaving for the Land of 
Promise. This place is 125 miles from Council Bluffs. We 
bought corn here for 25 cents per bushel. This corn the Mor- 
mons had brought from the Missouri, a three days-' journey, 
expressly to sell to the Calif ornians. 

On the 29th Ave started for the Nishnabotna, 75 miles from 
Mount Pisgah, Avitli (we are told) only one settler in the dis- 
tance. [We find] the Mormons settled along the road all the 
way where there is timber; but this is scarce. The road is 
very crooked in consecpience of proceeding through a rough 
part of the country and keeping on the dividing ridge all the 
way. 

AVe arrived on the Nishnabotna May 3rd. It is a small but 
very pretty stream and is about 50 miles from St. Francis. 
There are speckled trout in this stream, and the prairies are 



454 ANNALS OF IOWA 

very large all through here. This is on the North Fork, the 
South Fork being 20 miles distant. There is an old Indian 
town here of the same name but there is no one here now but 
about nine families of Mormons. It is a very pretty country 
and, I think, a healthy one. 

May 6th. Today we got within 5 miles of Trader's Point 
(or St. Francis) and camped in the timber. We stayed in 
this vicinity until the 16th. 

Letter No. 1. 

St. Francis, Iowa, May 7th, A. D. 1850. 
Dear Brother : — 

We started from Allen's Grove April 3rd. (Here follow 
extracts from his journal already given.) I have mentioned 
all names so that from time to time as I write you may Imow 
who I mean when I say that we are all well, &c. I shall num- 
ber each letter so that you will know if any miscarry. I should 
have written before, but after we had got far enough to make 
it interesting there was no post-office. 

We camped today Avithin 5 miles of Trader's Point, and 
here I am sitting on the wagon tongue writing to you. There 
is no town nor post-office here by the name of Council Bluffs, 
but that name is applied to a large tract of country here. The 
only post-office near here is the Mormon town, Kanesville. I 
forgot to tell you that in Tipton I traded my new thick boots 
to Henry Hart for a pair that he got a shoemaker in Illinois 
to make for him. He had worn them only a few days. They 
were too large for him so he gave me an even trade, and a good 
trade it was for me. I also traded my rifle for a U. S. piece 
that carries a ball of almost half an ounce weight. It is a 
new rifle at that. 

I will now wait until I find out when we start. 

May 16th. 

Dickinson arrived the 9th and we have joined a company 

and expect to cross the river tomorrow. On this date we 

organized a company to be called the "Fear Not." William 

Clapp is our Captain, R. S. Dickinson, Lieut., Thomas W. 



ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1850 455 

Hinchman, Clerk. I have not room for the By-Laws. The 
Captain Avas through last spring and is now taking his family 
through. We have a good many families in our company, 
I think it will be very doubtful about L. D. D. writing to 
Charles. I have spoken to him a dozen times, but we have 
such a poor chance that it is hard to get at it. I have got me 
a good revolver in my belt and I feel perfectly safe, although 
some difficulty with the Indians is apprehended. We have 
seen along the road nine dead horses and one dead ox. I 
have neither seen nor heard anything of Scott or James.^ If 
they are not short of money I lose my guess. Flour has been 
$7 per hundred here until lately. It is now $5. If you want 
to know how I feel I can tell you that I would hate awfully 
to be back there working for $15 per month. I have been 
well ever since I started and weigh 179 pounds. I was ex- 
posed to, but did not take the' measles. Smallpox is preva- 
lent here but the vaccination in my arm worked very well. 
I have vaccinated severaL The grass is just high enough to 
start on and that is all. It is very dry and dusty and" the 
grass can grow only in the sloughs. 

I found my rifle was more bother than profit so I traded 
it for a patent lever w^atch, pronounced by good judges 
to be worth $25. Kanesville is a small place but the business 
done here would astonish you. Just at this time five or six 
auctioneers are holding sales, and property sells well. A 
great many have come here to buy their outfits. Some sell 
out and hire their passage through, and some back out because 
of funds running out. Love to all. I would write more if I 
had room. 

Respects of, 
LeRoy Button. Jerome Button. 



I'William Scott, and James B. and Abner Alger had preceded them along 
this route but a week or two. William Scott's wife, Harriet M. Pearsall, 
was a daughter of the Samuel Pearsall mentioned in the Introduction. At 
this writing (December, 1909) Mr. Scott is living, at an advanced age, in 
Calamus, Iowa, and of all those mentioned herein, as having made the) 
journey to California, it is believed he is the only survivor. A sketch 
of Mr. Scott appears on page 813, "History of Clinton County." James 
B. and Abner Alger were sons of Oliver Alger, who is mentioned in the 
sketch of Rev. Dewitt C. Curtis on page 809. "History of Clinton County," 
as being one of the first settlers in Olive township. Abner Alger enlisted 
in Company A, of the Eighth Iowa Infantry, Aug. 12, 1861. He was 
captured at the battle of Shiloh and died in St. Louis during the war. 



456 ANNALS OF IOWA 

Journal. 

We drove (May 16th) within four miles of the ferry and 
laid over until the 18th. We number 22 wagons, 57 men, 6 
women, 9 children, 10 horses and 157 head of cattle. This is 
rather a larger company than common. We crossed the Mis- 
souri at the old IMormon ferry, which is distant 12 miles from 
Kanesville. Therefore we did not cross until the 18th. 

There was a willow shade on the bank at the ferry beneath 
which a seller of "hot stuff" had set up shop. As this was 
the last chance, some of our boys soon felt finely. Several 
companies were on the bank waiting for their turn to cross, 
and as the last load (I was on board) of our company shoved 
off from shore some one on the bank proposed three cheers for 
the departing company, and there went up three deafening 
"Hurrahs." 

There are a few log houses here at the river where the Mor- 
mons wintered one season in the Nebraska or Indian Territory 
and it goes by the name of "Winter Quarters." I mention this 
for the reason that the distances on this road are all measured 
from that point. The Mormons measured the distance from 
there to the Salt Lake by means of a "Roadometre" and 
therefore all the crooks and turns in the road are measured 
and this is one reason why it is so far. -We drove 6 miles 
from Winter Quarters and stopped until morning. 

On Sunday, the 19th, we drove to the Elkhorn and ferried 
and corraled around the Liberty Pole put up by the INIormons 
some years ago. We make a corral in this way : At night we 
form our wagons in a circle and put the tongue of each wagon 
up on the hind end of the wagon in front of it. A chain is run 
from the hind end board of one to the fore end' of the next 
wagon. We leave a place large enough to drive in the cattle 
and in this way we yard them. Then we stretch a rope across 
the entrance, and the corral is finished. In this way we often 
get along Avith only three watchmen. It is necessary to keep 
guard all the time, and Avhen we herd the cattle it generally 
takes five men. 



ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1850 457 

AVe turn the cattle out at half past 3 in the morning and 
keep with them night and day. We passed a company that 
had lost 55 head of cattle by leaving them just before day- 
light. We passed them in the evening, and although they had 
been looking for their cattle all day they had not found them. 
The cattle had taken fright at something and ran away all in 
one direction and got such a start that their owners could not 
overtake them. 

The country from here on is as level as any land I ever 
saw. This is the Platte bottoms ; very low but the road was 
good. 

We followed up the Platte without any trouble until we 
came to Looking Glass creek, a stream that enters into the 
Loup fork. But on the night of the 19th and again the 
evening of the 22nd we had very heavy thunder showers and 
consequently when we arrived at the creek on the 23rd we 
found it very much swollen and the' bridge gone. AVe there- 
fore had to stop and corral at 12 o Vlock and proceed to build 
a bridge 52 feet long. We had it ready to cross on the next 
morning, having plenty of help from .other companies in .the 
same fix. There were many Pawnees along the road from the 
Elkhorn to this stream, and great beggars they are, too. 

After crossing this stream we went about 8 miles and 
formed a corral on the bank of Beaver river. Here we were 
again water bound, and built, not a wire but a brush suspen- 
sion bridge. There was some flood trash collected in the mid- 
dle of the stream and using this for a pier we felled some 
willows onto it from each shore. We then cut brush and laid 
across the willows thick enough so that we could haul our wag- 
ons over by hand. Our cattle we swam over to the w^est bank 
where w^e remained over night. There were six other com- 
panies corraled there, also.' and in all there were 304 men, 24 
women, 21 children, 920 head of cattle. 73 horses and 154 
wagons. 

Sunday, the 25th, we traveled about 6 miles and forded the 
Loup fork of the Platte at a point 133 3-4 miles from Winter 
Quarters. We had to raise our wagon boxes 8 inches to clear 
the water and had to drive very crooked and keep moving 



458 ANNALS OP IOWA 

to prevent our Avagons from sinking in the quick sand. Sev- 
eral wagons belonging to other companies were stalled and 
nearly upset in consequence of the sand w^ashing out from 
under one side faster than the other. But the wagons were 
quickly got out; otherwise they would have soon been under 
the water. Their drivers did not follow the road that Capt. 
Clapp had staked out. They thought their road the best, 
but they found out their mistake. We have a first rate captain. 
The Mormons claim him, but I guess he is not much of a Mor- 
mon. William Davison crossed right after us and passed us 
here. 

Wild onions were plenty from the Elkhorn here, growing 
in some places as thick as they could stand. The country from 
Winter Quarters here is almost destitute of timber. There 
are some willows and cottonwoods (although but few) along 
the creeks and the Platte. Such of these trees as there are 
along the Platte, or Loup fork are mostly on the islands. It 
is a very flat country, but pretty prairie. 

We came past some old Pawnee villages that were destroyed 
oy the Sioux in the fall of 1846. Their main town covered 
about 20 acres and was Availed in Avith a turf AA^all. But the 
Sioux had taken them by surj^rise in the night and burned 
their toA\'n and massacred a great many of its inhabitants. 
Their bones lay about in every direction, and there were also 
a great many buffalo skulls that look as if the buffaloes were 
killed about the same time as the Indians. I suppose the 
PaAAmees had trespassed upon the Sioux hunting grounds, and 
that is AA^hat the fuss originated from. 

The Chief of the PaAvnees came out to the road to see us. 
He was the best looking Indian of his tribe. He had on a 
silver medal on one side of Avhieh AA'-as inscribed "Peace & 
Friendship" shoAving also a tomaha\A'k and pipe and two 
hands firmly clasped. 

On the other side was a head of James Madison with an in- 
scription reading "A. D. 1803." He was a young man and 
this medal has doubtless been handed down from chief to chief. 



ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1850 459 

Close by their town that was destroyed was a large piece 
of brealiing that I suppose was done for them by the Govern- 
ment when they were moved there. I saw an old Peacock 
plough near. But their ground is now deserted and they 
now live farther down the river and on the opposite side. 

May 28th : This day we saw the first prairie dog city. They 
are much smaller than I expected, being about the size of a 
large grey prairie ground squirrel. In color they are between 
a gopher and a prairie grey squirrel. They resemble a dog but 
very little. They keep up an awful barking as you approach 
them but never bark until they are right over their holes 
ready to dive in. When barking their motion is something 
like a small dog, but their bark does not in the least resemble 
the bark of a dog. I have seen a tract as large as 200 acres 
quite thickly covered with their houses, w^hich are, in fact, 
nothing but a small heap of dirt with a hole in the top. There 
are in Texas, I am told, a much larger kind which much more 
resemble the dog. 

]\Iay 30tli : This day a gentleman Avas kind enough to offer 
me the use of his horse so that I might go hunting. His offer 
was most thankfully accepted. I started in the morning and 
was gone until noon. I saw plenty of antelope, an animal 
smaller than a deer. They make a noise similar to a young 
cow, and are generally quite tame. Their meat is excellent. 
I caught one young antelope. After petting it awhile and 
wishing that it was at my home back in Iowa I went on and 
left it. I saw many gray wolves, but no buffalo* except dead 
ones. They were plenty. Whether they died from starvation 
or were killed by the Indians I do not know, but a great many 
of them had never been skinned. 

Saw plenty of prickly pear for the first time. They re- 
semble a large leaf on the ground. They are covered with 
stickers about half an inch long. There [are] some that look 
like a pineapple. 

May 31st : This day Ave drove 28 miles and passed several 
other companies under way. At night we made use of buffalo 



460 ANNALS OF IOWA 

chips for the first time to cook our supper with. I was agree- 
ably disappointed when we got the fire started and found 
that they burned so much better than I expected. It is not a 
hard matter to find them, for they are plentiful. 

June 1st. This day our company killed its first buffalo, a 
large cow. She was chased in from the bluffs toward our 
train and several of us started out with our rifles to meet 
her, but she was killed Ijy her pursuers before I had a chance 
to give her a shot. 

June 2nd : We had traveled 16 miles today — which was al- 
together the hottest day we have had up to this time — when 
the Captain rode along the train and told us to halt and get 
a drink of water at a good spring that rose a few rods from 
the road. We stopped, and nearly all of us had gathered at 
the spring, when a pack horse came running past. He fright- 
ened and started the hindmost team and they turned out to 
pass the next team ahead. At this they, too, took a start and 
so on until every team in the train was off in a perfect stam- 
pede. This made a scattering at the spring, every man run- 
ning for his team. John AA^hite was run over by another team 
in attempting to stop his own, but came out unhurt. Powell 
was run over and seriously scared, but not much hurt. Mrs. 
Dickinson was also run over by four yoke of cattle, and some- 
what bniised. I presume the wheels did not strike her, al- 
though Dickinson thinks that one passed over her ankle. In 
consequence of the bruises she is not able to walk. She got 
out of the Avagon with her little boy, but in falling she fell 
over him and he escaped unhurt. The stampede was a grand 
as well as an awful sight. It lacked 15 minutes of 4 o'clock 
w^hen it commenced. The cattle were very tired and warm, 
and so were we. This was the first good water we had since 
crossing the Missouri, a distance of 289 miles. AA^e had fre- 
quent thunder showers and every creek was black Avith the 
mud washed in from a large scope of country. Many a drink 
of water did I take that I would not have washed in at home. 
All these circumstances together render the Cold Springs a 
spot that will long be remembered by the most of us. 



ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1850 461 

June 3rd : This was a day of hard work. We laid over to 
wash and bake in preparation for crossing- a 200 mile strip 
of country barren, with the exception of one lone tree, of a 
single stick of timber. We took some wood with ns to start 
the fires, but buffalo chips are the principal part of our fuel, 
and they are plentiful. There [are] places where they may be 
gathered, I believe, at the rate of ten bushels to the acre. 

While I was walking around here I came across a buffalo 
skull, and I measured it between the inside corners of the 
eyes. The distance was 13 1-2 inches. The animal had been 
killed but a short time. Here also was the grave of a man 
named Gordon, from Dubuque county, Iowa. He died the first 
day of May. 

June 4th : AYe left with the intention of going to Fort Lar- 
amie before laying up. Nothing of importance transpired 
until Sunday, the 9th. When Lieut. Dickinsgn was called on 
watch this morning he refused to serve, in consequence of his 
wife being unable to help herself. Some of the company 
found fault with him and the matter was brought before the 
company at 12 o'clock. The decision was in Dickinson's favor. 
Some other difficulties arose, one being that the Captain drove 
too fast to suit Dickinson and his associates, and they asked the 
privilege of withdrawing from the company. On the morning 
of the 10th this privilege was granted by a vote of the com- 
pany.^ We arrived at Fort Laramie at 12 o'clock June 13th 
and laid over until the loth to recruit our teams and lighten 
up. 

Letter Xo. 2. 

Fort Laramie, June 13th, 1850. 
Deal' Brother : — 

Our company had not got together when I wrote my last. 
[Here follow extracts from the journal]. W^e have now ar- 
rived at Fort Laramie and I hasten to finish this letter to 
you, if you can call it by that name. We (that is, Dickinson 
and his wagons and men) left the Fear Not company three 

'Those who here separated from the "Fear Not" company were R. S. 
Dickinson, wife and child, Josiah Hill, Daniel Carlisle, L. D. Dutton, 
Jerome Dutton, and one other who cannot be identified. 



462 ANNALS OF IOWA 

days before getting here on account of their hard driving as 
well as some other bad management. We have kept close to 
them so far by getting started earlier and driving later than 
they. If that company keeps on the way they have driven 
so far one half of their cattle wall give out before they get 
to Salt Lake. The feed has been scarce for several days and 
heavy, sandy roads and hot weather make it hard on the cattle 
and no mistake. These companies seldom keep together but 
a very short time. Our two wagons are alone at present, but 
we can join a company any time we wish. But for my part 
I prefer going by ourselves. We can get along much better 
and there is no danger of Indians for we are close "to some 
company every night. I would think by the number of teams 
on the south side of the river that when we all get together 
we cannot be alone any of the way. 

We had intended to cross the Platte here, but it could not 
be forded and the ferry boat was sunk the other day by some 
Galiforniaus who were on a spree. The river here is 108 yards 
wide, runs very swift and is now high. There have been seven 
men drowned here, I understand, while ferrying themselves 
across in wagon boxes, etc. 

Today I came across the grave of a man from Van Buren 
County, Iowa, who was killed by his brother-in-law. There 
were four of them playing cards and drinking and they got 
into a quarrel which resulted in the death of one. The man 
who killed him is at the Fort and is not expected to live. He 
received a dangerous wound from the man that he killed. The 
balance of them are in the Fort and in irons and will be taken 
back. This I do not know to be a fact, but presume it is. 

Since I left AVinter Quarters I have seen seven dead horses 
and one left behind because it had accidentally been shot 
through the fore leg, cutting all the sinews and rendering 
the leg useless. Also one dead ox and three that were left 
because they were unable to go any farther. There are plenty 
of others that will not go much farther. Lorenzo and I drive 
the Widow Knight cattle, a yoke that Ale Dunn got of Sny- 
der.^ They stand it well, but I see plainly that we have got 

iSlmon Snyder, of Allen Grove township, Scott county. 



ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1850 463 

to drive slower. If we get through with one half of our cat- 
tle it will be as well as I expect. The old wagon is better than 
when we started, but I think it quite likely that we shall 
leave it before long and put the teams all on one wagon. 
There are plenty of good wagons burned up between here 
and Winter Quarters, and good wagons that men offer to give 
away. But when wood is scarce, they generally burn them. 
We have passed first rate log chains laying beside the road 
and half worn clothing, bed clothing, saws and a great many 
things that would be useful any place but this. 

We came here from Winter Quarters in 26 days. We laid 
up just about two days, which leaves 24 days that we drove 
to get to Fort Laramie. The distance is 522 miles, and I think 
that is stiff driving for an ox team. Lorenzo has just come 
up from the ferry and tells me that he saw Davison, so, you 
see, we have kept up with the horse teams. 

The distance from here to Salt Lake is 509 miles, so. you 
see, we are more than half way there. I will now tell you the 
reason that letter writers so seldom mention particulars. It 
is this : They are so busy that they have no time to write any- 
thing that can possibly be dispensed with and write at all, 
and any man that writes a letter on this road deprives himself 
of rest of which he is much in need. We generally get up 
about 2 o'clock in the morning and seldom get to bed before 
9 o'clock in the evening, and when we are not eating or yok- 
ing cattle every step counts one for California. The country 
from the Missouri here is almost destitute of timber and what 
we would call brush in our coimtrv is timber here, and nothing 
but Cottonwood and willoAV at that. So, if you hear anybody 
talking about a railroad to the Pacific, tell them for me that 
they are crazy. All of our boys are well except "old 
Mr. Hill." He has been grievously afflicted, has had the 
ague, the earache, has been sick at the stomach and at present 
has sore eyes. He wants me to write to Joseph Alger for him, 
l)ut you may tell Joe that it is not Cy's fault that he don't get 
a letter.^ 



lA characteristic story of Josiah Hill, in connection with the lynching 
of Bennet Warren (an event of much celebrity in western Clinton countv 
in 1857), is given on page 442 "History of Clinton County" 



464 ANNALS OP IOWA 

I have heard nothiii"' of AA^illiam Scott and James B. Alger. 
I want you should write immediately after receiving this. I 
want to know how you and Doc "Witter get along.' If he or 
Dawson had heard themselves cursed as much as I have for 
sending people over that new road they would feel very much 
like fighting. I want that you should take out all the letters 
that come for me, read them, answer them and put them in 
my box so that I can see them when I get home. You may 
think that is a great ways ahead, but I feel as though it must 
not be such a great while. AVhat goes the hardest with me is 
the total loss of the company of young ladies. I believe if 
we had a few along I should be at home. 

We came through a Sioux village. They are good looking 
Indians, and there was one young woman, a chief's daughter, 
that was really good looking. She had her cheeks painted 
red and wore, in addition to a red blanket, a buckskin dress 
flowered off with beads. The Sioux are a wealthy tribe and 
have many ponies. 

This will doul)tless be the last letter you will get until I 
get through. There is no opportunity to send letters, as the 
mail leaves Salt Lake only twice a year, and therefore it will 
be better for me to wait until I get there before I write. I 
presume Lorenzo will not write. Give my love to all and tell 
Father and Charles I would like to write to them but have 
not time. Tell Cyrus' he nnist write me at Sacram(^nto City 
and let me know all about the young folks in Iowa. Tell 
Rhoda that I hope to meet her husband' about the first of 
September and remember me to Aunt and George.^ Lorenzo 
says to tell you that he is well and doing the best he can to get 
to California, and that when he arrives there he will write. 

I wa's the cook all the way to Council Bluffs, and since Mrs. 
Dickinson was hurt I have done nearly all the cooking for 
seven adults and a boy about 3 years old. There is any amount 
of quarreling on this road, and a great many are dividing their 

^This refers to Dr. Amo.s Witter, subsequently a member of the Fifth 
Genei'al Assembly from Scott county. 

-Cyrus A. Pearsall, brother of William R. Pearsall. 

-William R. Pearsall. 

*Phoebe Pearsall, mother of W. R. and C. A. Pearsall. George was her 
youngest son. He enlisted and was killed in service during the rebellion. 



ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1850 - 465 

learns, and many a person have I seen and heard say that if 
he was back and knew what he knew then he wonld never start 
for California. Among this latter class is Dickinson and lady. 
That, though, is what no one has heard me say. 

But I am getting tired sitting here in the wagon with a 
board on my lap. Yet I can scarcely stop. I see several 
words badly spelled, but will not liotliei- myself to rectify the 
errors. So. no more at present. 

Respects of your brother, 
TjeRoy Button, Esq. Jerome Diittoii. 

Journal. 

June 15111 : AVe left Fort Laramie this morning and fol- 
lowed up the north side of the river to cross the Black Hills. 
This road has been traveled but very little until now, but as 
the ferry boat was gone we either had to go up on this side 
or ferr.y ourselves on a float, and no timber to build it of. 
We therefore concluded to keep up the north side, and as 
there have been but few trains up on this side the feed was 
uood until we got up to where the teams from the other side 
commenced crossing. The upper Platte ferry is 126 miles 
from Fort Laramie. The game, antelope and mountain sheep, 
was plenty. 

About 15 miles from Fort Laramie we came to a pretty 
sDring that emerged at the foot of a bluff, and after flowing 
about eight feet, lost itself in the sand. This was a romantic 
looking place. There were numerous dry creeks, some of them 
as nuich as 20 rods wide, and they looked as though they were 
large rivers in the spring of the year. I think there must 
be very heavy rains here by the appearance of the l)luffs and 
dry creeks. 

June 23rd : This day we got to Independence Rock on the 
Sweetwater, and laid by one and a half days. AVe drove our 
cattle 1 to 2 miles from the road and found just feed enough 
to keep them alive. This Rock is 698 1-4 miles from Winter 
Quarters, and is something of a curiosity. It is 600 yards 
long ajid 320 wide, and is composed of hard granite. By dint 



466 ANNALS OF IOWA 

of good management I got time to ascend this rock and look 
at the surrounding country. Back east in the direction we 
came from can be seen the Atlantic spring, its edges white 
with saleratus, and to the south-west can be seen mountains 
with here and there a patch of snow. The beautiful Sweet- 
water can be seen here to advantage, winding its serpentine 
course in a south-easterly direction to the Platte, into which 
it empties. How appropriate, after traveling 700 miles up 
the Platte (the waters of which resemble the jMissouri) and 
then coming on to this beautiful mountain stream, how ap- 
propriate, I say, that it should be called "Sweetwater." At 
the west could be seen the Devil's Gate, 5 miles distant (but 
it did not look to be a mile) . This is a place where the Sweet- 
water passes through rocks 400 feet high, and as you stand at 
the edge of the stream on the south side you can see the rock 
at the top projecting over your head, and it looks as though 
you could almost jump across from one side to the other. I 
attempted to go through from the lower side of the gate to the 
upper, but found I could not get through the Devil 's Gate as 
easily as I expected, as the only chance to pass through was 
to wade, or perhaps swim, and I decided to back out and not 
go through his gate until some future period. What is re- 
markable about these rocks is that they are placed in solid 
heaps and the country around them is sandy and without a 
stone. 

We traveled up the SweetAvater 100 miles and crossed it 
five times. The 28th we crossed it twice in order to avoid 
clambering over the rocks where they came up close to the 
river. At the lower ford the water was so deep that it rose 
into the wagon boxes. So we had to carry some of our things 
up over the rocks to the second crossing to prevent them from 
getting wet. The balance we }")ut on deck, and in this way 
we got across with little trouble. 

July 1st : This day we passed Pacific Spring (the first 
water that runs into the Pacific) and crossed a desert 19 miles 
without water. The first was the Little Sandy, about 4 miles 
Avest of the junction of the Salt Lake road Avith the Oregon 



ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1850 467 

Trail (which is generally called Subblett's Cut-Off ). Here 
we camped one night. 

July 2nd : "We traveled forward 12 miles to the Big Sandy 
and laid over until 5 o'clock on the 3rd. We then started 
and drove all night and until 4 o'clock of the 4th to cross a 
desert 50 miles wide, which brought us to the ferry on Green 
river. Here there was a great many teams on either side. We 
got across at 6 o'clock by swimming our cattle and paying $7 
for ferrying our wagon. We left our cart here. There were 
several flags flying and a great many guns were fired in honor 
of the day. I heard some good fiddling and thought several 
times of sweet home and the merry ones that, no doubt, at 
that time were "patting it down" to some old favorite air. 
Here we began to see a great many sick, and there was one 
death that night. The thermometer in the morning was 4 
degrees below freezing, and at 12 o 'clock it was up to 95 in the 
shade. While we were here Daniel Solis, John Turner and 
Ainsworth came up and went on, and that is the last we have 
seen or heard of them. They were w-ell. We laid over here the 
5th. 

We left on the 6tli, drove 12 miles and camped on a small 
branch of Green river. A man had been buried there that day, 
and there were two other graves that had been made but a 
short time. 

July 7th: We traveled 15 miles today over a sandy and 
dusty road. We stopped at noon and took our dinner on top 
of a hill where there was nothing but wild sage, and dust 
three inches deep. 'We accidentally spilled some vinegar on 
the dust, and it foamed up like so much saleratus. And this 
is what is blowing into your face day after day (and some 
nights) as regular as the day comes. At night we camped 
in a very pretty place. Plenty of snow close by us. A fun- 
eral ceremony was just concluded as Ave arrived there. 

July 8th: This day we traveled over some very steep 
mountains and camped over night at Hams Fork. Here the 
forage began to be more plenty and we came upon the first 
good grass we had found from a point 25 miles below the upper 



468 - ANNALS OP IOWA 

Platte ferry without leaving the road from 1 to 5 miles. 
There were some half-breed. Indians here wdth some very 
fine horses. We tried to bny one, but their lowest price 
was $100 for a horse that had been broken to ride. 

July 9th : We arrived at the foot of a mountain and in 
sight of Bear river after traveling a rough and rocky road 
over some very steep hills. 

July 10th : Today we overtook a company from IMissouri, 
under Captain John E. Develby, Avith which we had traveled 
several days in Iowa. I had formed an attachment for some 
of them, and when we came up they were yet gathered around 
the grave of a companion whem they had just buried. He 
Avas sick but six hours with what is supposed to be the cholera. 
Directly after leaving them we came to four rushing creeks 
that all ran down between the points of two mountains that 
were not more than a quarter of a mile apart. The ci^eeks 
were all deep and difficult to cross. After crossing the last 
we had to turn and go down it close to the foot of the moun- 
tain, and over large, rough rocks that would jar a wagon to 
pieces unless it was well put together. There are plenty of 
dead cattle around, and the smell is strong enough to almost 
take your l)reath away. We also passed four new' made graves 
todaj', and at night camped beside a beautiful little spring 
creek that ran down from the mountains over riffles close by 
our tent and made sweet music for us to sleep by. 

The 10th, 11th and 12th we continued to keep down the 
Bear river with very good roads, as a general thing, and 
grass enough for the whole emigration. 

July 13th: Today we came to the Soda, or Copperas 
springs. The first two were on the bank of a creek close to 
the river. The water gurgles up with a snapping noise and 
the first taste resembles soda, but the after taste is more like 
iron and very disagreeable. A little lower down and directly 
on the bank of the river is what is called .the Steamboat spring. 
Through a hole in the rock about 18 inches in circumference 
it gushes up to a height, sometimes, of two feet. It makes 



ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1850 469 

considerable noise and foams something like soda. Like the 
other springs, it is of very unpleasant taste and smell. 

We arrived today at a point where the road forks. One 
fork, the Oregon road, goes past Fort Hall ; the other, Hedge- 
peth's Cnt-Off, is the road we took. 

We left Bear river ahoiit 2 o'clock, and as we had to go 
about 15 miles with no water along the road we took in 
enough to last us until 9 o'clock the next day. We drove 
about 8 miles and stopped over night. Although there was 
plenty of good grass there was nothing to make a fire with. 
Therefore we had to eat a cold lunch for supper and go on 
in the morning before breakfast, which made it 11 o'clock 
when we ate. It being Sunday (July 14th) we laid over the 
balance of the day. There were some half-breed Indians here 
Avho had established themselves to trade with the emigrants 
and buy up broken down cattle at small prices. 

AA^e resumed our journey on the 15th and passed four graves 
all made this month. Above one of them was a headboard 
with the man's name on it, below which was written a mes- 
sage requesting that if his friends saw it they would please 
inform his family, as his company had gone on and left him 
there while yet alive. Ilis name was Dennis, and he was 
from St. Louis. Another was the grave of a man named W. 
H. AA^illiams. He had been shot by another member of his 
company by the- name of Hunter, and died a few hours later. 

July 16tli: We traveled until noon today and then laid by 
in consequence of sickness. Josiah Hill and Airs. Dickinson 
were taken sick. Hill got better and was able to go on, but 
Mrs. D. was too sick for us to proceed. 

July 18th : Today we resumed our journey and traveled 
most of the day through deep ravines, a little ascending until 
about G o'clock. Then we came to where we descended into 
a valley. The descent was lengthy, steep and dangerous. Here 
we had a strip of country 15 miles without water. A¥e had to 
leave tlie road three-quarters of a mile to the left. This 
[road?l was discovered this year and formerly it was 20 miles 
[to water.] The last water was a big spring, and there were 



470 ANNALS OF IOWA 

two tracks, one leading to the right, and the other crossing 
the creek a half mile below the spring. After crossing the 
road bore southwest do'WTi the creek at a short distance from 
it. (This is what is generally called Hedgepeth's Cut-Off.) 

July 19th: This day we traveled until 10 o'clock through 
ravines down a creek until we came to where the stream sank 
in the sand. From here it was 12 miles to water. After 
climbing a steep bluff (close to the creek) we had a good 
road, which descended gradually until we arrived at water, 
three creeks close together. 

July 22d: We crossed Raft river near its head where it 
was quite a small creek. After crossing, the Fort Hall road 
came into ours. In the forenoon we could see the dust arising 
from the Salt Lake road. 

July 23d : We came to the Salt Lake road, distant between 
20 and 25 miles from Raft river. 

July 24th: We passed over some rough road and stopped 
on Goose creek, where we heard that Captain Clapp's Fear 
Not company were 5 miles behind us. They went past Salt 
Lake, and had three days the start of us. 

July 25th: This morning we resumed our journey up 
Goose creek, and before leaving it followed it 18 miles from 
where we first came to it. Here we came to a deep ravine, 
with a rough and somewhat crooked road for a quarter of a 
mile at the entrance. After leaving the head of the creek it 
is 12 miles to water, and very little grass. We camped four 
miles from the last mentioned water. 

July 26th: At about 10 o'clock this morning we came to 
the Thousand Spring Valley. No grass. For a few miles 
after entering this valley we followed down it, seeing numer- 
ous springs, or wells along the road. They are from three to 
seven feet deep, some of them cold and good, others warm and 
laden with alkali. We camped at the lower end of the valley. 

July 27th : Though the road was good the grass was poorer 
than we had along back. We left two big springs today at 5 
o'clock, and had to cross a barren district of 9 miles without 



ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1850 471 

water. The Fear Not company caught up with us today and 
at night we camped close together. 

July '^Sth- We drove about 12 miles and found the road 
good, with the exception that it was very dusty and included 
some short, steep pitches that we had to go down. We came 
to several o£ the natural wells, some of which contain fish. 
They are dangerous in consequence of careless horses and cat- 
tle faUinc. into them. The country here is rolling, the ravines 
wide, and grass good in the valleys. Fuel is scarce. Some 
sage and grease weed. 

29th- Arrived at Mary's or Humbolt river. Grass and 
road good. July 30th, 31st: Kept down Mary 's river, wih 
good 'grass but bad and unclean water. Road good, with 
the exception of the dust which is from one to four inches 
deep. Sloughs are plentiful along the river and so mirey 
that in some places it bothers us to get our cattle on the best 
grass. AVe laid up this afternoon. 

August 1st: Forded the river 4 times ?n that number of 
miles First three deep ; had to raise our wagon boxes 4 to 8 
inches to keep our provisions dry. The fords were good; keep 
well down the middle of the stream in all of them. There was 
a road that kept down the river on the west side, but it was 
over mountains and we preferred keeping on the bottom, as 
the grass was good and road much better than on the west 
side^ AVe passed two little creeks today and camped on the 
mountains. No grass nor water. From these creefe it is 8 
miles to water and this, I think, not safe to depend on It 
was springs, and they ran but a short distance before they 
Tk in the sand. It was 15 miles from the creeks to the 
river and over rough road, and dusty. 

2d- Crossed the river again and came down on the east 
• side ■ Along here there is a road on both sides The most 
of the emigration came the east side. Very dusty either 
side- barren saleratus land; nothing but greaseweed and wild 
sage Good grass close to the river, but very sloughy and 
bad getting to it. AVater bad and getting worse. 



472 ANNALS OP"' IOWA 

3d and 4th : About the same all day. Left an ox today. 
He sAvam the river where there was no ford and we left him 
there. 

5th: Today we drove until 12 o'clock, and then joined the 
Wapello company, Capt. McDaniel [or McDaniels]. Nine 
wagons in the company when we joined. They Avere from 
Iowa, and we had seen them all along the road from the Platte. 
They went by Salt Lake, and we came in ahead of them. The 
reason we joined them was this : The Indians Avei'e trouble- 
some and we concluded it was not safe to leave .our cattle 
unguarded, and it was too hard for so few of us to guard 
them. AYe laid by until 4 o'clock and then drove until 10 
o'clock at night over a very rough and rocky road; some 
places rocks square up and down from 2 to 3 feet. 

Gth, 7th. 8th and 9th: Still continue down ]\Iary's river, 
on the south-east side, until the 9th. We then crossed over 
by ferrying in our wagon boxes and swimming the cattle. 
Grass hard to be got at because of the many sloughs. We 
had to build bridges of willow brush to get our cattle across 
them onto the grass. 

10th, 11th and 12th: Travel down -Alary 's river with grass 
very scarce, or, in fact, what you may call none, over a com- 
plete desert with this exception : AVe occasionally touched the 
river for water. We traveled considerably nights. Dusty 
road, and many dry ruts. AYe swam our cattle across the 
river often and some of us swim over after them, and find 
nothing but willows for them to browse on at that. Great 
numbers of dead cattle and horses line the road from the 
crossing place to the Sink. 

August 13th : AA^e arrived at the place for nuiking hay 
this morning. Had to wade in the water and mud (from 
ankle deep to 2 feet), cut our hay. bind it up some, and 
"back" it out. Others draAV it out with light cattle and 
wagons, with great difficulty. Grass good, but the ground 
is so mirey that it is a miserable place to recruit cattle. There 
was a trading establishment here, kept up by the Alormons. 



ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1850 473 

They sell beef at from 15 to 20 cents per pound, and kill eat- 
tle that the emigrants leave. Flour is $1.50 per pound, sugar 
$1.00 per pound, whiskey 50 cents for a little less than a gill. 
They Avould not let you drink what you Avanted for that. 
Water had here. By wading lialf a mile you. can get as good 
as there is in the river. The wells are brackish. 

14th : Laid up to cure our hay imtil the morning of the 
15th. We then moved on dowji past the Sink and camped on 
the south-east of the slough. Plenty of stock water here, but 
none lit for other use. 

16th: AYe started at three o'clock this morning to cross 
the desert, 40 miles Avithout wood, water or grass. The road 
was good for the first 25 miles. Here the road commenced be- 
ing very heavy and sandy. There was plenty of water to be 
had at the commencement of the sandy road for $1.00 per gal- 
lon. This water they haul 15 miles from Carson river; this- 
is the first water after- crossing the desert. There were sights 
to be seen in crossing this desert. After the first 5 mjles you 
could not get out of sight of dead cattle or horses. Any num- 
ber of Avagons. At one spot I could, stand and count 25 in 
.sight. Two-thirds of the emigrants had to leave their Avagons 
and plunder on the last part of this desert and drive their cat- 
tle on andhgrass them and then go back for their Avagons. 
One-half of our company had this to do ; the other got through 
at daylight the morning of the 17th. AVe Avere among the 
forward teams. 

There Avas a large Rag Town on the riA^er Avhere Ave first 
«eame to it and several A^ictualing tents. Their prices Avere 
high, viz., 10 cents per pint for coffee, if Avith sugar, 15 cents; 
25 cents per pint for rice soup, 50 cents for a sour pie about 
the size of your hand, 25 cents for a small biscuit, 50 cents 
a dram for Avhiskey, 75 cents ditto for brandy, beef, good for 
50 cents per pound, flour $1.25 per jjound. There Avas no 
grass nearer than 6 miles from here, but you could get hay 
for 25 cents per bundle that could be spanned Avith both hands. 
It Avould take a dozen of them to make a feed for a yoke of 
cattle. AA^e droA'e 6 miles up Carson's riA^er today and laid by 
on the 18th. 



474 ANNALS OF IOWA 

The 19th we again set out up the river, the road sandy and 
in many places rough and rocky. Grass tolerably good. 

20th, 21st, 22d and until 2 o'clock the 23d we traveled up 
Carson river. Trading posts plenty for the last 60 miles. 
They all ask about the same prices as the one where we first 
touched the river. Passed Warm Springs on the 23d; the 
water so warm that you could hold your hand in it but for 
a short time. We arrived at the foot of the Kanyon at 2 
o'clock the 24tli and laid by until morning. The 25th we 
drove through the Kanyon,^ a distance of 6 miles over as 
rough and rocky a road as a wagon could pass over. We, how- 
ever, got along very well. Upset only once, and that did no 
particular damage. A branch of the Carson river ran through 
the Canyon. There were mountains on either side, the tops 
of which nearly touched the clouds. There was some good 
.(pine) timber here, the first we saw that you could call tim- 
ber after leaving Winter Quarters. 

26th : We left the head of the canyon this morning, and 
crossed the first of the Sierra Nevada mountains. At the foot 
of this mountain was an iron safe that some emigrant had 
started with, but when he got here and looked up this moun- 
tain I expect he came to the conclusion that he had hauled it 
far enough, and I think it a wise conclusion. The ascent was 
steep, rocky and about % of a mile in length. There were 
four dead horses in this distance, and we traveled only 6 miles 
this day. 

27th : We crossed the second mountain, or summit of the 
Sierra Nevada. The road was such as would be considered im- 
passable by anybody but a Californian — rough, rocky and 
steep, and in addition to this there was snow that we had to 
go over for half a mile. The snow just at the right of the 
road was from 10 to 20 feet deep. It was two miles from the 
foot of the mountain to the summit; very steep in places. 
When we were on the summit we could" look down and see 
plenty of snow 100 feet below us. There was plenty of the 
best water I ever drank. 

]An asterisk here refers to a note written on a fly leaf of tlie journal. 
This note reads : "Canon, This is a Spanish word, pronounced Kanyon." 



ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1850 475 

28th, 29th & 30th: Traveled these days over rough road 
and on a dividing ridge. Water scarce and grass more so, and 
dust ankle deep. Trading posts are plenty. 

31st: No feed today. We had to cut down oak trees for 
our cattle to browse on. 

September 1st : Today we arrived at Weaver, the first town 
that we came to in California. Here we stopped and bought 
tools and went to mining on I\rethenis creek, 4 miles south of 
Weaver. (Here we came across James and Abner Alo-er ) Our 
tools cost us $35. We mined here but a few days." Lorenzo 
started off to look for a better place and went to the Mormon 
Island, and here he found William R. Pearsall, mining. He 
stayed part of a day with him and then came back to the 
creek and we sold everything except what we could carry and 
moved to the Island where we arrived on the 11th at 12 
o clock. 

[End of the Journal.] 
Letter No. 3 is missing. Letter No. 4 folloivs : 
Mormon Island, California, Sept. the 27th, A. D. 1850. 

[This letter opens with extracts from the journal from the 
entry for July 1st to July 14th.] 

Dear Brother: — 

I find out that my journal will occupy too much space to 
admit of my writing it in this letter. I will therefore find 
out what the postage will cost me and if not too much I will 
write my next in the back part of it and send it to you. We 
arrived at Weaver, a little to^^-n close by the first diggino-g 
on the first day of September. Here Dickinson considered his 
part of the contract fulfilled. We therefore stopped here 
and as a man cannot live idle in California we bought us a 
full set of mining tools-that is, a pick, shovel, pan, blower, 
dipper and rocker, for which we paid $35, and as Hill and 
Daniel Carlisle were out of funds and wanted to go in with 
us, M^ all started together for Methenis creek, 4 miles south 
o± Weaver. Judge of our surprise and joy when, walking 
Clown the creek and passing the miners, we came to a hole 



476 ANNALS OF IOWA 

and found James Alger sitting on the bank and Abner in the 
hole — the first Ave had seen or heard of them after leaving 
home. They told us that Scott came in with them, but started 
back on the road the next day with another man. AAHiether 
lie Avas going to prospecting or not they did not know. I have 
left a letter for him at Weaver, but have not heard from him 
yet. I guess that he and the boys did not agree very well. 
James and Abner wanted a partner, so we got rid of tlncle 
Hill. Carlisle and I stayed and "dug and Lorenzo went off on 
a scout to look for better diggings. He Avent to Mormon 
Island, and there he found AVilliara. He Avas interested in a 
dam across the south fork of the American riA^er. He told 
Lorenzo if aa'c Avould come doAA^n he Avould buy us a share in 
the dam. Lorenzo told him avc Avould do so, and came back 
to Avhere Daniel and I Avere at Avork. AVe sold all of our duds 
except AA'hat avc could carry and came doAvn here. 

We arriA'Cd here on the 11th. William had bought the sluire 
for $700, and let us have it at the same. There are 10 shares 
in the dam. It therefore takes one of us to AA'ork the share 
and the other Avorks for the company at $5 per day and boards 
himself. In this Avay Ave have been at Avork up to this time. 
We paid $30 for our share AA'hen Ave came and Ave have taken 
out enough, Avith our AVork included, to pay for one-half of 
our share. If the Avater did not bother so much Ave could 
have had the debt paid and money to spare noAV, but the 
Avater has been so high that Ave have not been able to Avork 
in the bed of the riA'er but a fcAv days. AVe have had several 
rains since Ave arriA^ed here. Some think the rainy season has 
already commenced, and some think it Avill stay off until the 
middle of November. If it has commenced Ave cannot do any- 
thing more this year. If it stays off' a month or so Ave shall 
do Avell, I think, Avithout a doubt. William OAvns 1 3-4 shares 
in the dam. He thinks Ave Avill have a month or tAvo of good 
Aveather yet, and from appearances it bids fair at present. 
Daniel Carlisle came doAvn here and worked by the day for 
the company until the river raised. They did not Avant him 
longer, and he started this morning for Deep Creek diy dig- 
gings, 65 miles from here. If you get an opportunity let his 



ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1850 477 

wife know that lie is well. He is a fine boy and I wish that 
he was at home, and I gness if he had the money he would go. 
"William \n\\ come home this fall or winter. -If the weather 
continues good for a month or two I am in hopes that I will 
be able to send you a little by him. The gold on ^lethenis 
Creek is coarse ; that that is taken out of the river here is fine. 
But you have doubtless seen some of this, as William sent 40 
ounces to his wife some time ago. I found a piece on Methen- 
is creek that Avas worth a dollar. 

While Ave were there we made a little more than enough 
to pay our way. James, Abner and Josiali have gone to Dry 
Creek, about 30 miles south of here. AAHiere Dickinson will 
stop I do not know. His family was in AYeaver when we left, 
and he was out on a trip to find a place where something 
could be made without work. He is as lazy a man as is now 
living. There was not a person that came through with him 
but that hates him now above ground. Along on Hedgepeth^s 
Cut-Ofe he got an opportunity to sell some flour for 50 cents 
per pound. That looked so large to him that he sold 50 pounds 
and thought he would have enough to last through. But it 
oave out by the time we got to Carson river, and flour was 
$1.50 per pound here (and was sold) by Calif ornians that had 
come out here and started a trading post. It almost killed him 
to pay that, and he would have been glad to have kept us on 
half rations if we would have submitted. But we told him he 
could have his choice ; buy us food or we would leave him and 
buy for ourselves. He concluded to buy, and soon run out 
of money and had to pawn his watch for the last we got at 
Leek Springs.^ 

I traded my watch for a pony on the road and in a few days 
sold the pony for $30 in cash, so Lorenzo and I had about $5 
when we got here. Everything is high here. Flour is worth 
16 cents per pound, onions $1 per pound, potatoes 20 cents per 
pound, pork 25. beef from 25 to 40 cents, green corn 12 1-2 
per ear. You can get most anything you want here if you 
have plenty of money. AYe have had a .iar of preserves for 

iThe ill feeling evinced here and in other places between various niem- 
berrof the party was only temporary. After then- return to Iowa 
friendly relations were soon re-established. 



478 ANNALS OF IOWA 

which we paid $3 — 2 quarts, and put up in China — a bottle of 
pickles, 1 quart, $1.25, put up in Philadelphia and composed 
of cucumbers, cabbage, onions, muskmelon and small ears of 
corn, etc. 

You want to know what I think of California, no doubt. 
I am not sorry I came, but at the same time I would not come 
again in the same way for a clean five thousand. There is 
something indescribable about the journey here — that, I am 
well satisfied is, of all journeys, the most tiresome — and I 
would say to you all : Stay at home if you know when you 
are well off. A great many are leaving here and going home 
without trying their luck. (Kirtley is at Sacramento City, 
and is going in a short time.^) Mining here is a perfect lottery. 
Some do well, but many work hard and get hardly enough 
to live on, and the miners here are like the farmers in Iowa; 
by far the poorest class there is here. The man that has money 
to start with can do better at anything else than mining. A 
tavern does well, and there are plenty of them. A grocery 
and gambling house makes money, and the Justice of the Peace 
in this town sits at his table Avith a pile of money before him 
and deals Monte for the bystanders to bet on. The cattle 
buyers are another class that makes money. Fat cattle sell 
from $120 to $200 per yoke, and from $50 to $75 is all that 
an emigrant can get for them when he first comes in. If he 
puts them on a ranch it will cost $4 per month and run his 
own risk of having them stolen, and that is something of a risk 
in this country. 

We got through with four yoke of cattle, but he (Dickin- 
son) bought one on ]Mary's river. The black steers that Sny- 
der used to own stood the trip well. The Widow Knight's 
cattle did well until we got about half way through Hedge- 
peth's Cut-Off. Here the near one took sick, and we had to 
leave him. This I hated to do, for I thought more of him 
than any ox in the team. The oif ox was very near worn out, 
so we drove him loose until we came to Mary's river. He was 
very dry and jumped down the bank and swam across, and 

ij. "W. Kirby, the man referred to, is mentioned on page 540, "History 
of Clinton County," as one of tlie earliest settlers of DeWitt township, 
having settled there in 1836. 



ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1850 479 

we went on and left liim there. The near ox that he got of 
Bennett gave out, and he sold him for $8 to a trader on Bear 
river, and this was all the cattle (oxen) he lost. But his cow 
gave 'out on Green river. Cattle can stand more hardship 
than I thought, for there were several days that I did not 
expect anything else but that we would have to throw our 
duds away and foot it through. But as good luck would have 
it we got through with all our clothes, and well. 

I lost, from the time I left Kanesville until I got here, 20 
■pounds.' AVilliam is well and is decidedly fat and weighs 165 
pounds. The company that left Allen's Grove with us stayed 
in Clapp's company and went past Salt Lake. At the junc- 
tion of the Salt Lake road they had three days the start of us, 
but we were about seven miles ahead of them when the Salt 
Lake road came into ours, and they all got through about the 
same time that we did, and are somewhere about Hangtown. 
A newspaper sells for one dollar here, so you may judge 
it is very little reading I do. Hay sells for 15 cents per 
pound; 40 cents per pound for horse feed. There is a good 
chance for cutting hay here in the spring, but everythnig is 
dead and dry now. 

Now, remember this : I have been very punctual m writ- 
ing to you but I have sent to the city for letters but cannot 
hear anything from you— and you at home and nothing to 
do but write Sunday. Be sure and write direct to Sacra- 
mento City. The reason I have not written before is this: 
I wanted to get stationery, and after I got here there was^no 
use, for the mail only leaves San Francisco the 1st and 15th 
of the month, and I was not here in time to send this month. 
Tell Charles and Father that I don't know as Lorenzo will 
ever write to them. I have been trying to get him to ever 
since we came, but cannot. Give my respects to all and a kiss 
to Wilmet.^ 

LeRoy Dutton. Jerome Button. 

N. B. Tell C. A. Pearsall to write to me.- 

iHls nephew eWest son of Charles. ^.^ ^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^.^ ^^ ^.^ 

„ .t^ 't oSnv neo 29th 1850 The joiirnal had taken up about a third 
brother Le Roy Dec 29th lb50.iny ^.men, and on some of its un- 
only of tlie 1^"^ volume in wmc, ^^^^^^ mentioned below is 

l^ow ilK! possesion S mJ iShew, H. Glutton, a son of Charles Dut- 

ton. 



480 ANNALS OF IOWA 

Letter No. 5} 

Natoma, Dee. 28th, 1850. 
Dear Brother: — 

Sitting- by your fireside these long winter evenings with 
nothing to busy yourself one would think you would write 
(to your far distant brother) often. Ever since I have been 
here I have sent to the city every opportunity for letters, but 
have been disappointed, until last Monday I went to the city 
and received your No. 1. ]Many a night have I laid down on 
the ground with my head to the fire to try to write something 
that would interest you, but, after all, have received but one 
letter yet. and I had almost come to the conclusion to write 
no more. 

But the fact of it is I do not have time to write. While 
we were mining I worked every day, except Sunday, until the 
20th of November. We had some rain about this time and the 
i-iver rose and avc had to suspend operations for this year. 
T.orenzo and the writer had, after working all this time and 
earning about $50 by working nights for the company, about 
$2.40 between us. That is what we had left after paying for 
our share in the company. We still own our share and I ex- 
)iect we will work it another year. 

If AVilliam had gone home I should have sent you $100, but 
he concluded to stay, and we all went in together and bought 
a trading house here and keep a provision and grocery store. 
We bought two teams. William and myself drive the teams 
and Lorenzo tends the store. We are 27 miles from the city. 
We have 5 -cents per pound for hauling here. The difficulty 
is that we cannot get as much hauling as we can do, and Avhen 
we have to lay idle the teams are a great expense. You may 
judge for yourself: We pay 8 cents per pound for barley 
at the city and from 6 to 20 cents per pound for hay. AVe 
get it for 6 cents in the city, but at Ilangtown, a distance 
of 50 miles, we have to pay 20 and for hauling to Ilangtown 



^Written on a fly leaf of the Journal: "Natonia (this is the Spanish 
for Mormon Island). I have sealed a gold dollar in the fore part of this 
book. I want you to give that to father. It is the first I ever saw. — 
Jerome." 



ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1850 481 

we get from 8 to 10 cents per pound. Business of all kinds 
is over done here. There are too many stores, too many teams, 
too many taverns for any of them to make their pile right 
quick, but I am in hopes that business will be more brisk in 
the spring. At any rate I think we will do very well. We 
gave $600 apiece for our teams, that is, $1,200 for eight mules 
and harness and two wagons. 

Lorenzo is well; William is also well. I have been well 
ever since we quit mining. Before that time I was in the 
water more or less every day, and was quite unwell. Was trou- 
bled with the rheumatism so that I could not rest nights, but 
since we have commenced business I have had good health, 
and have got fat once more and weigh 182 1-2. 

I will now say a few words in relation to the country. We 
have very pretty weather at present, clear, sunshiny days, 
cool, frosty nights. The winter is very light so far. Last 
year at this time the roads were almost impassable in conse- 
quence of the heavy rains converting the soil into an ocean 
of mud. 

The country f-rom here to the city is a very pretty country. 
It is tolerably level and is nearly all what we would call oak 
openings, being thinly covered with short, scrubby oaks. The 
soil I think but little of. being red gravel, and sandy in places. 
Among the birds of this country is the magpie, a most beauti- 
ful bird— and in walking through the timber you frequently 
see the much famed mistletoe bough growing out of a tree of 
oak without being grafted; different boughs and different 
leaves and always green. Among the animals here is the 
Kiota. a small prairie wolf, the Tarantula, of the spider 
species, as large as your hand, covered with short hairs and 
said to be very poisonous. The next, a scorpion, is built 
similar to a crawfish. They have a stinger in their tail; they 
grasp their prey in their claws and then throw their tail for- 
ward and sting, and are very poisonous. 

There are several tavern keepers here who are sowing bar- 
ley on file road, and a good many are going into it quite ex- 



482 ANNALS OF IOWA 

tensively, but I have my doubts about their raising much of a 
crop without irrigating the ground. 

Now, one word in relation to emigrating here. Say to all 
of my friends: Stay at home. Tell my enemies to come. I 
would not want a worse punishment inflicted on any person 
on earth than to have to come here across the plains, and it 
is the worst place to spoil a young man in the world. In 
Sacramento City there are no less than four long gambling- 
houses that have four musicians hired to play every night. 
In one they have four singers, two women and two men that 
sing at intervals every night. In addition to this you can sit 
down to a gaming table beside a lady and do your betting, 
and you know this is a temptation hard to resist. I have seen 
women take their seat at a IMonte table and bet their ounce 
on a single card as cool as I would pay two bits for a card of 
ginger bread. 

Tell friend George Atherton by all means to stay where he 
is, but if he will come, come by water. If I had time I would 
write how a man should rig himself to come, as I am confident 
that if I had it to do over I could come more comfortably. 

R. S. Dickinson is in the city keeping tavern. Scott I 
have not seen nor heard from. I wish you would let me know 
where he is, if he has written home. James, Abner and Josiah 
are still on Methenis creek. We got a letter from James. 
They were well. Josiah had killed two black tailed deer. 

Stewart, poor fellow, was unfortunate. If you see him give 
him my respects. Tell him he must write to me. I wrote 
to him at the Bluffs, but have received no answer. I was glad 
to hear that Cyrus and Richard are coming out and I wish 
them good luck in their undertakings. 

But I am so confused that I can scarcely write, writing in 
our store on the head of a barrel. Some are talking about 
coming around the Horn, some are playing cards, and one has 
just "hollered," "High, Jack, Game," and all this on Sun- 
day ! This is the busiest day of the week. Let me know how 
you manage my affairs, that note of Rogers, for instance. 



ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1850 483 

Lorenzo says lie will write before long. He did not like Will- 
iam Wicks manouvering very well. Let me know if there 
M'ere any letters came for me, and who lives on the AVicks 
place. If you could make a good trade — my farm for the 
Biiena Vista place (Biiena Vista Ferry) do so. There was a 
man offered me $500 for my place and he had never seen it, 
but had been through the country and knows what it is. But 
I think more of my place than when I was there. 

But I will draw to a close, and wnll try to write oftener. 
Then I shall not have to write so long. 

Give my respects to all. 
LeRoy Button. Jerome Button 



End. 






484 ANNALS OF IOWA 



WILLIAM FLETCHER KING.' 

BY ROLLO F. HURLBURT, D. D., 

Pastor First Methodist Episcopal Church, Iowa City, Iowa. 

When Charles II of England visited the Westminster school 
under the headship of the famous Richard Busby, the great 
Master did not take off his hat in the presence of his monarch, 
lest to remove it before his scholars might lower their opinion 
of the rank and dignity of the teacher's high calling. Where- 
upon the King frankly confessed that the teacher there out- 
ranked the King. 

In the realm of Brain Power and Heart Power, the real 
King of the 17th century in English History was not Charles 
the Second, but Richard Busby., For the greatest masters in 
English Literature and the most illustrious men in Church 
and in State of that period, were trained in Westminster 
school under the remarkable tutelage of Richard Busbj'. 

The class-room of the Teacher continues to be the command- 
ing source of greatest power and of widest inHuence. It has 
well been said that institutions are but the lengthened shadows 
of the men who originate them. The visible and tangible re- 
sults that have come from the consecrated life of him in whose 
honor we are assembled to-night, show how large a place he 
has made for himself in the educational liistoiy of the State 
of Iowa. 

William Fletcher King came to Iowa in 1862, and began 
his educational work in that year in this State as the Pro- 
fessor of Ancient Languages in Cornell College. In 1868 he 



'An address delivered in tlie Art Gallery of the Historical Department 
of Iowa, on the installation of a portrait of Dr. King, by Ralph Clark- 
son, June 16, 1910. 



2i 



z>-/ 



